Australia has produced many world-class maestros and among them there is a healthy number of women, including the internationally esteemed Simone Young and the Music Director of the Australian Ballet, Nicolette Fraillon. Australia further proved its world-leading status in cultivating promising women conductors in June, when it was announced that two Australians were among the hand picked group of six conductors, aged under 40, selected to participate in the inaugural year of the Dallas Opera’s Institute for Women Conductors.

Jessica Gethin and Jennifer Condon beat off competition from over 100 other applicants representing 27 countries, to be chosen for the innovative professional development programme. The intensive course of mentoring and workshops concluded on December 5 with a performance featuring all six of the participating conductors at the Winspear Opera House in Texas.

Jessica Gethin

In an interview with Texan culture website TheatreJones, Gethin and Condon reflected on the experience. “It’s been really enlightening listening to everyone in the different forums and discovering that the foundation of where I want to be is actually quite established. I hadn’t...